Situation: An Introduction

Hi, welcome to the twelfth day of The Leads Intellectual challenge: a 30-day challenge with Fatai Kareem. If you would like to know how your performance can affect the confidence of your employer or client, read the eleventh day challenge here.

Today, he will be discussing an important concept that applies to our activities: situation. Why is that what you did before that was right is no longer right to you now? Why can you do some things at home, but you can not do those things at work? Why do laugh at some times, but cry at times? Why do you prefer someone to another person? Why do you plan ahead of your actions? 

Well, situation is a great concept that when well understood, many changes can be impacted. What is this situation?

Situation refers to how the condition people find themselves affect them. It can also be defined as how what is going on within and around a person affects the way he/she acts, reacts, feels and thinks.

The way you feel when you are hungry is different from the way you feel when you are thirst. Your reaction is different when you are tired from when you are energetic. The way you think when you are writing an examination is different from the way you think when you are writing your diary. Different situations with different actions, reactions, emotions and thoughts.

A situation changes when there is a change in factors responsible for its occurrence. The interaction between these factors, such as their presence or absence, brings up a new situation, hence changes the way you act, react, feel or think. For instance, if you have an important call as you are reading this challenge, will you answer the call or continue reading? The call serves as a new factor which brings up a new situation that requires that you decide whether to continue reading or answer the call.

The factors that bring up a situation are regarded as situational factors. These factors influence how a person react or respond to what is going on within and around him/her. And they contribute to the condition a person finds himself/herself. How this condition affects the person is what explains the situation facing him/her. If two persons failed an examination, how this will affect them will be different. One might have the opportunity to do it again while the other person might not have such an opportunity. This could be that the first person can afford the cost of re-taking the examination. While the other person could not afford the cost. Even if they can both afford to re-take the examination, they are two different individuals. Meaning that each individual will bear his own pain and experience. Therefore, they would face different situations.

These situational factors can be categorised into two: personal factors and environmental factors.

1. Personal factors are the internal factors or things about an individual that affect how his/her body, mind, soul and spirit functions. These are the factors responsible for what is going on within a person. This comprises biological, psychological and spiritual components of an individual. These can be divided into three:

• Biological factors: these are those things that affect how a person's body functions. These include the cells, tissues, organs and systems of the body. The state of any of these components affect the condition of the body. This in turn brings up a situation by affecting the person in some ways.

• Psychological factors: these are those things that affect how a person's mind and soul function. These include a person's state of mind, intellect, thoughts, imagination, emotions, will, ideas and mental health. These affect a person in some ways, which in turn brings up a situation.

• Spiritual factors: these are those things that affect how a person's spirit functions. This compromises the spiritual components of a person which enables him/her to see things beyond this world. These affect a person in some ways, which in turn brings up a situation.

The interaction between the body, mind, soul and spirit affects how a person responds or reacts to things going on within and around him/her.

2. Environmental factors: these are the external factors or things around a person that affect him/her. These are the factors present in his/her surroundings or around him/her responsible for what is going on around him/her. These factors can include:

• social and cultural factors: these comprise those things that affect how people relate or interact with one another in the society, and how this interaction, social institutions and social affairs affect them and their society.  

• political factors: these comprise those things that affect how people are being governed, and how this government and political affairs affect them and their society.

• legal factors: these comprise those things that affect what people can do, and how the constitution, laws, rules, regulations and legal affairs affect them and their society.

• economic factors: these comprise those things that affect how goods and services are produced and distributed, and how the economic systems and affairs affect individuals and their society.

• technological factors: these comprise those things that affect how things are done with respect to the level of technology and how the technological advancement and affairs affect individuals and their society.

• physical/geographical factors: these compromise those things that affect the physical and climatic conditions of a location and activities that can be carried out, and how these condition affect individuals and their society.

• and other factors that can affect people in their environment.

All these factors, both personal and environmental factors interact to affect how a person thinks, feels, reacts or acts. How these factors affect a person is what shows the kind of situation the person finds himself/herself, and how he/she responds or reacts to what is happening. 

There are some cases in which a person may react negatively to another person's action, whereas the cause of his reaction is not the other person's action rather what is wrong with him. Therefore, it is important that one does not pay attention to the environmental factors alone in understanding other people, but also personal factors affecting them. Likewise, there is an interaction between environmental factors, which in one way or the other affects how a situation can occur. Therefore, it is important to understand how this interaction or interconnectivity can affect a plan or project, so as to prepare for contingent situation as the case maybe.

Case study

1. Gbenga, an interviewee, puts on his native dress and ready to go for the interview. Is there anything wrong with this? Why?

2. ABCD Company plans to launch a new product. After considering its capacity to produce the product and the taste of its consumers, then it concludes that the project is feasible. Is this right? What are other factors that need to he considered?

3. Sept, a final year student, is ill. So, she visits health center; she is given drug to be taken and advised to rest and sleep very well. On getting home, she receives a call that there is an impromptu test on campus, and this test could take up to 20 marks. Will she be happy with this kind of thing? How do you think this can affect her? If you are to be Sept, what are you likely to do?

4. DXYZ Ltd needs an accountant. Four people are called for an interview: A, B, C and D. They all have the same qualification. A just lost his job and needs another job in order to take care of his wife and two kids. B is a married woman who wants to have a job in order to support his family, although her husband has a good job. C only wants to leave his current job in order to earn more salary. D is a newly graduated student. Considering their individual conditions, how will it affect each one of them if not employed?

Disclaimer: All names used are for illustration purpose.

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